Wilder Years
by JoAnnB
Summary: A short story set when Heyes and Curry were young men. This "could" be considered a prequal to the Wilde Hearts series.


Wilder Years

The ride into Lone Pine had taken three days. Sleeping alone on the trail was something that eighteen year old Jed Curry had done a lot of over the past few years, but not something he'd ever gotten used to. It wasn't that he liked a lot of conversation, he wasn't really the talkative type, but he preferred traveling with a companion to going it alone.

Jed had learned to live with loss and hardship early, losing his family and then being sent to an orphanage that was more of a work farm than a home. For most of that time he'd at least had the companionship of his cousin and best friend. He hadn't realized how much that meant to him until they had separated last spring.

He wondered what Hannibal Heyes was doing now. The older boy had always been a schemer, and his plans to 'make it big' had often involved less than legal ventures. Jed hadn't objected on moral grounds, he had pretty much lost faith in so-called honest professions long ago. He had seen 'honest' bankers taking hard-working folks' farms when an early frost destroyed their crops. After the war, he had heard a lot of important-sounding men talk about how much better life would be if they were elected into one official position or another—but he'd still barely had enough to eat. The railroads had become the worst of the lot, often resorting to lies and even murder to get the land they wanted to establish their empire. Everyone seemed to be stealing from somebody. So far he'd never stolen from anyone who couldn't afford to lose it—at least that was what he told himself.

Jed scanned the street for a building that looked like a saloon, assuming that would be the first place his cousin would be on a hot summer afternoon. Even if he didn't find who he was looking for there, a cold beer would go a long way toward quenching the thirst he had built up on the trail into town.

After laying eyes on the first possibility, he found the nearest hitching post and slid off his tired mount. He hit the ground with a soft groan. Working the last several months on a farm, without spending much time in the saddle, meant that three straight days on horseback had now left him saddle sore and ornery. He longed for the soft bed he'd left behind, not to mention the girl he'd been sharing it with—although her father would have had his hide if he'd found out. Jed brushed the memory from his mind. He'd made the decision to find his cousin and it would be easier if he didn't think about what he was leaving behind.

Entering the saloon, he could see immediately that Hannibal wasn't there. The place was nearly deserted, with only one long bar along the side and no other tables or chairs. A handful of solitary men sat at the bar hunched over drinks.

The young man paused, wondering if he should get a whiskey here, or go on. "Is this the only saloon in town?" he asked finally.

"You wanna come in and ask questions—you gotta pay for a drink," the barkeep stated in a tone that left no question of his meaning.

"No thanks, I'll just be on my way." If his cousin was in this town he'd find him on his own.

Looking down the street he spied a more likely establishment, and choosing to walk rather than ride, he headed down the street. The sound of laughter and boisterous activity could be heard from a block away as he approached. _Sounds like a much friendlier place,_ he thought as he walked through the doors.

As his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he scanned the several tables of card players. A satisfied grin spread across his face when he found the man he'd been looking for seated at a large table with an equally large pile of poker chips in front of him. Choosing to remain unnoticed for a while, he stayed to the outskirts of the room and tried not to call attention to himself. He knew his cousin well enough not to rush up to him before knowing what kind of a game he had going. _Is this just a friendly poker game or part of some bigger scheme? _

Jed leaned against the back wall and watched the dark haired man lean into the center of the table to scoop the large pot towards him. He smiled at the look on his face; he'd seen it before. Even as kids, nothing seemed to bring Hannibal Heyes more satisfaction than using his mind to outwit other men. Whether it was winning a bet, winning a hand at cards, or pulling a scam, he took great pleasure in outsmarting others—and profiting from it. Jed had often heard him say that it wasn't his fault that most people were foolish—like betting more at the poker table than they could afford to lose or trying to take advantage of others out of greed, only to find that they'd been the one taken advantage of. No, his cousin slept easy at night knowing he had every right to have everything he was smart enough to figure out how to take. Of course, the law sometimes disagreed with him, but that hadn't discouraged him any.

Jed watched for a few more minutes, unnoticed by the card players. As he scanned the room, casually surveying the other men, his expression turned to one of suspicion as he focused on one man walking up behind his cousin. Something about the man's movements caused him to suspect a threat, so he stepped out in front of the other patrons to have a clear view of the man. As his cousin gathered up the money from the table, the man who was now directly behind him, reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a long shiny knife.

Before anyone else at the table could say a word, Jed's gun was drawn and pointed at the man holding the knife. "Drop it or you're a dead man," he stated flatly, his gun never wavering.

All eyes in the room turned toward the newcomer who had just caused the entire room to go silent.

The man with the knife stepped back and hesitantly dropped the knife in front of him.

"Get your hands where I can see 'em," Jed ordered again and the man reluctantly complied.

"I ain't done nothin'," the man stammered, raising his hands slowly and flashing the dark haired man at the table a questioning look.

Hannibal Heyes turned slowly to face Jed Curry. "There's no trouble here, _friend_," he said slowly, emphasizing the last word. "Why don't you just put that gun away and go have a drink. I'll buy you one just as soon as I gather up my winnings here," he said as he began to pick bills of various denominations off the table.

Jed watched silently as Hannibal turned back to the table and the other men sitting around it. He realized too late that he had walked into a situation that he didn't fully understand. Clearly, Hannibal was involved in something that he did not want interrupted.

"Hey, you can't leave with all our money," one of the men at the table argued.

"Yeah, you gotta stay and give us a chance to win it back," growled another man.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hannibal could see his younger cousin turn and head out through the swinging doors.

"Why don't I spread some of this money around then? I'll buy a round for the whole room—everybody bring your glasses up to the bar," Hannibal said loudly as he moved to disappear into the crowd of men who were now rushing toward the bartender. He shoved some large bills across the bar and made his way to the door.

Once out onto the street he caught up with Jed and grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around, only to find himself staring down the gun barrel of the younger man's Colt 45.

Hannibal's eyes widened as he stared at his younger cousin. In all the years he'd spent with Jed—watching him hone his skill with a revolver—this was one place he never expected to find himself.

Jed grinned as he lowered his arm and smoothly holstered the revolver. "A man could get himself killed sneaking up on another man like that," he said proudly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hannibal demanded, taking a step forward.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" Jed's expression turned to one of surprise and hurt.

Hannibal sighed and put his arm on the younger man's shoulder. "Look, I'll explain everything to you, but right now, I think we'd better be getting out of town."

Jed stared back open-mouthed. "I've been riding for three days—I just got here."

"Yeah? Well I've been setting up that poker game in there all week, with the perfect plan to get the money out of town without them hunting me down for it, and you just blew it all to hell. Those boys aren't going to take too kindly to me leaving with their money so I think I'd better do it fast while they're still getting their free drinks."

"Sorry," Jed mumbled, not sure of exactly what to say.

He started to ask Hannibal how much he'd won in the saloon when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. His hand dropped to his gun but Hannibal's hand on his shoulder tightened.

"Take it easy," he said quietly.

Jed easily recognized the man walking out of the alley leading two horses. It was the same man who'd pulled the knife a few minutes ago. "Come on Heyes, I got your horse—hey, it's that kid from the bar." The man cast a threatening look Jed's way. "You want me to stick 'im, Heyes?" The dark haired stocky man sneered as he brandished the knife he'd held in the saloon. "It'd be a real pleasure."

"No!" Hannibal said quickly. "Harvey, this here's a kid I rode with a while back., His name is Jed Curry. He just didn't know what we were up to, but he's alright. I invited him to ride along with us."

"You what?" Harvey's face turned into a scowl.

"Look, we don't have time to talk about this now, we gotta get moving," Hannibal said as he swung into the saddle, then leaned over so only Jed could hear him. "Call me Heyes and don't tell anyone you're my cousin," he whispered. "Go get your horse and follow us," he called louder as he and Harvey set off at a trot.

"Heyes? Call you Heyes?" Jed said under his breath as he ran back for his horse.

xxx xxx xxx

"What are you doin' here anyway? I told you to meet me in Twin Falls on the 15th." Heyes asked quietly after they'd ridden a mile out of town. The two riders had drifted a few yards behind Harvey's horse. "I told you we'd meet up after you got paid and I had my stake built up from my poker winning, then we'd head to Dodge City and triple our money playing big stakes with all those cattlemen," Heyes continued.

"We got the crop in early, and they paid me. Besides, I thought maybe you could use me sooner."

"What makes you say that?"

Jed shot the older boy an accusing look. "I read the papers, Hannibal."

"Heyes, it's Heyes, remember? And what's the paper got to do with anything?"

"I read in the newspaper about those stage coach robberies. Charlie Harper, Ned Taylor, a couple names I recognized from your letters. I thought maybe you were getting into something big, or maybe you could use someone to watch your back."

Heyes could only stare back. "You came here because you thought I was robbin' stage coaches?"

Jed shrugged, "We were getting into bigger and bigger stuff all the time."

"Naw, kid, those two took off; they're ridin' with a guy by the name of Jim Plumber now." Heyes hoped his young cousin wouldn't hear the lie in his voice and realize how close he'd come to guessing the truth.

"So, what are you doing then?"

"Well, me and Harvey, we had this real sweet deal going where I'd win big at the tables, and then he'd rob me. I'd go take out after him and everyone in town would think I was going to bring him—and all the money--back to town." Heyes smiled broadly, obviously proud of the plan.

Jed stared at him blankly. "Why?"

"Why what?" Heyes looked confused.

"Why go to all that trouble if you won the money in the game?"

"Well see, men in these towns, they don't like a stranger coming in and taking all the local money with him when he leaves. They like to just keep winning it back and forth from each other. A couple times guys pulled their guns on me when I got up to leave the table with a big pot."

"Wouldn't happen if I was there," Jed commented smugly.

"Oh, and what do you think you'd be able to do about it? Show 'em your fast draw and make everybody scared?"

Jed stared back at his cousin, his face taking on a look that made Heyes shiver slightly.

"Yeah," the young man replied simply.

"Oh that's great, that's just great. Well that's not how I do things, not with guns."

"I know, that's why you need me," was all he said before nudging his horse forward to catch up with Harvey, effectively ending their conversation.

xxx xxx xxx

The evening had turned dark and cold by the time the three riders reached their destination; a modest cabin built adjacent to a small corral. Jed had a lot of questions for his cousin, but he was too tired to think about them. He hadn't had much sleep the last few nights and he'd been looking forward to sleeping in a bed rather than unrolling his bedroll again. At least he would be unrolling it on a cabin floor rather than outside on the dirt and rocks. Heyes had lengthened the trip by circling around a few times to make sure they hadn't been followed by any irate losers from the poker game. The three men unsaddled their horses and turned them loose in the corral before settling down in the cabin.

Jed awoke the next morning to the sound of a new voice in the cabin and the smell of coffee.

"How ya doin' Heyes?" the newcomer asked.

"Good Jake, what did you think of the bank?"

"The bank looked real good. Everything was just like you said--when the manager comes in, where they keep the big money, even the sheriff's schedule."

"Great, when do we go?" Heyes asked.

"We'll ride out in three days, hit the bank on Tuesday."

"What's with the extra horse out front?" another new voice asked and Jed felt a gust of wind blow in before the door was closed.

"Oh, it belongs to a friend of mine. I ran into him last night," Heyes said casually.

"We could use another gun, if he's any good?" Jake questioned.

"No, he's not going along on the job, he'll be riding out tomorrow," Heyes replied quickly.

"You shouldn't have brought him here Heyes," the second man said with a glance at Jed's still form on the ground.

"He won't be any trouble," Heyes assured them.

"He'd better not, come on Zeke," Jake said, nodding to the other man and heading for the door.

"We'll be out unloading the supplies, put some beans on would ya Heyes, I'm starving," Zeke said as he followed Jake out.

Heyes took hold of the cast iron pot and moved it to the stove, adding some more water from the pitcher on the table.

"Hey, good morning," Jed called from the floor.

"How long you been awake?"

"Just woke up, did I hear you talking to someone?"

"Oh, yeah, Jake Miller and Zeke Hanson, just a couple of fellas I've got a job lined up with next week."

"What kind of Job?" Jed questioned.

The sound of shots being fired sent both men to the window with their guns drawn. Heyes relaxed when he took in the scene. Jake and Harvey were shooting at bottles out in front of the cabin.

Jed smiled. "I could beat both of them," he observed, studying the two men.

"Don't," Heyes warned. "Just keep to yourself and ride out after lunch. I'll meet you in two weeks in twin falls like we planned."

Jed gave him an innocent smile and nodded, then wandered out on to the porch to watch. Heyes sighed and returned to the stove.

On the porch, Jed watched as both men hit three out of five targets and then began setting up more bottles for a tie breaker. Jed smiled and stepped off the porch.

"Care to put a little wager on that next round?" Jed asked innocently, strolling toward the men in the yard.

"Sure kid, why not?" Jake replied, narrowing his eyes as he looked the boy up and down, noticing briefly the type gun the boy carried and how he wore it.

"What's the bet?" Jed asked, looking the older man straight in the eye.

"If you lose, to either of us," he nodded toward Harvey. "You do all of our laundry tonight, socks and long johns too," he said with a grin.

Jed shrugged, "Sure, what if I win?"

"What do you want kid?" Harvey asked.

"First off, I ain't no kid, and second, I want in on the bank job."

The two older men looked at each other with blank expressions and then back at Jed. "What bank job is that, kid?" Jake asked.

"The one I heard you planning this morning," Jed replied smoothly.

Harvey grinned, "Ok, kid, you're on. If you can beat us, we can use you on the job." He walked up to Jed and offered him his hand. "No hard feelings about last night huh kid?"

Jed reached to shake his hand and Harvey unexpectedly grabbed his right arm and swung a left hook into the boy's jaw. Jed staggered back and fell into the dirt as Harvey let go of his arm. Jed hit the ground hard and sat there for a moment, dazed. All three men began to laugh and Jed started to scramble up to go after the man but before he reached him, Jake stepped between them.

"Now boys, I think that makes you even," Harvey told me what you did last night at the saloon.

Jed rubbed his jaw and glared at Harvey.

"Now, I think we're ready, I'll go first," Jake said lightly.

Heyes and Zeke had both heard the confrontation and were standing in front of the cabin watching with interest.

Jake stood in front of the bottles, spread his legs shoulder width apart and took two deep breaths, then, lightning quick he drew and fired five quick shots, shattering each bottle.

Harvey and Jake both turned to Jed and erupted in laughter.

In front of the cabin, Zeke was also laughing. "Sorry kid, they get all the new guys with that one, ain't nobody better'n ole Jake."

"I guess we'll be getting our laundry done tonight," Harvey said, slapping Jake on the back.

"You haven't won yet," Jed said, looking Jake straight in the eye.

Jakes smile faded, "You want to try and beat that?" he asked incredulously

"I thought that was the idea?"

Jed walked over to the log and picked up three bottles that were sitting near the log on the ground.

"I need two more," he said turning to look at Jake and Harvey.

"Sorry, I guess there ain't any more." Harvey sneered.

Jed stared at them, not moving.

"I think I got a couple bottles inside," Zeke offered and retreated into the cabin. He returned holding two small mason jars. "This is all we got," he said with a shrug.

When the two jars were lined up on the log next to the whiskey bottles, Jed took his position where Jake had stood. Standing still for only a moment, he slid the gun out of his holster and fired off five shots in quick succession. When he twirled the revolver as he holstered it, Zeke whistled. "Whewee Jake, he took all five out—those little ones too."

Harvey and Zeke were both grinning ear to ear as they watched Jake, who wasn't smiling at all.

"You think you're better 'n me kid?" Jake asked, his face hard as he stood to face Jed.

"I thought that's what we were gonna find out," Jed replied smoothly.

The tension in the yard rose a notch as the two man stood facing each other.

"Oh, come on now boys, let's keep this fun," Zeke said quickly. "First one to hit a coin in the air?"

Jake continued to glare at Jed for a few more moments, then relaxed. "Sure, toss one Zeke."

Zeke dug into his pocket and produced a coin. "Ok, Jake first," he said tossing the coin high into the air.

Jake drew and shot, hitting the coin on the edge, sending it flying to the left. Harvey let out a long whistle.

"Ok kid, now you." Zeke threw another coin in the air and this time Jed fired, sending the coin flying higher and dropping several yards in front of them.

"Ok, one each, through another one," Harvey said quickly, sensing the tension in the air building again.

"Look at the coins," Jed said, remaining rooted in his position across from Jake.

"Oh, hey, let's just call it a draw," Heyes said brightly, walking out to join the other men and clapping Jed on the back. "Come on in, beans are hot."

"No," Jed said. "Look at the coins."

"Here's Jake's," Harvey announced, holding up the coin showing the nick in the corner. "He hit it alright."

"Well I'll be damned," Zeke swore, and the others turned to see what he'd found. "Look at this." He held up the coin that Jed had hit. There was a neat round hole practically dead center in the coin.

Jake turned suddenly and went for his gun, but Jed was faster, cocking his before Jake's was level.

"Don't try it," Jed said, a dangerous edge to his voice as he held his revolver pointed straight at Jakes chest.

"Guess I'll be ridin' with you boys," Jed said pleasantly.

"Now, I don't want to have to bury nobody today, let's eat," Zeke announced loudly. The others stood silently watching the stand off, until Jake finally returned his gun to his holster. Jed did the same and both men headed for the cabin.

When Jed neared the porch, Heyes stepped in front of him and pulled him to the side. "You shouldn't have done that, he whispered. Jake is one man you don't want to make mad."

"I only challenged him to a shootin' contest, he's a sore loser."

Heyes stared incredulously at the younger man.

"You've been here less than twenty four hours and you've already made two enemies. Harvey and Jake probably want to kill you—and they are two man that can do it too."

"Let 'em try, they'll have to outdraw me first," Jed replied with a smug smile.

Heyes gave a resigned sigh. "Ok, but you let me do the talking, I know those guys better than you do and maybe I can smooth things over."

Jed's grin widened. "You do that Hannibal, you just keep talking," he said and walked inside.

Heyes took a deep breath and followed. "It's Heyes…call me Heyes," he mumbled.

xxx xxx xxx

"Well, kid, come on in and sit down," Zeke laughed when Jed entered. "So, tell us where you learned to draw and shoot like that?" He shot an amused glance Jake's way, enjoying the older man's discomfort.

"Just picked it up I guess. I practice a lot," Jed shrugged.

"Heyes, why didn't you tell us the kid was this good, you knew we were lookin' for another gun on the job?" Zeke clapped Heyes on the back and sat down at the table.

Heyes shrugged. "I didn't think he was interested," he said, giving his cousin a look that told him to be quiet.

Jed shot him a look of annoyance. "Why wouldn't I be, Heyes? You and me pulled some jobs together?"

"Well yeah, but, not bank jobs," Heyes said uneasily.

"Well what kind of jobs did you pull then?" Jake challenged. "You told us you were big time?"

Jed grinned. "Go ahead Heyes, tell 'em about our big jobs."

"Oh well sure, we did some jobs, robbed some stage coaches, payrolls, things like that."

Heyes became more animated as he started spinning his tale, embellishing details as he went along. The men's enthusiasm seemed to be fuel for the fire as his stories got larger and larger.

"Heyes, tell 'em about the time you opened that safe in broad daylight while everybody was out eatin' lunch." Jed grinned mischievously.

"Well, that was an easy one," Heyes said casually. "Of course, there was that time you shot up the whole town after we robbed the mercantile." Heyes gave his cousin a satisfied glance, but to his dismay, Jed only grinned and nodded.

"Yep, whole town was duckin' inside and hidin,' we just strolled right on out of town, didn't we Heyes?"

"Yeah," Heyes replied less enthusiastically, Jed's eagerness for portraying himself as a gunfighter was beginning to worry him.

"So, Jed," Zeke began as he pushed his bowl aside. "Here's the plan for the job we got set up."

The others sat listening while Zeke described the bank and the plan that had been set up.

xxx xxx xxx

After breakfast, Heyes and Jed went outside to take care of their horses. When they were sure their voices couldn't be heard by the others, Heyes looked at the younger man and grinned. "You didn't mention the store clerk forgot and left that safe unlocked when he went to lunch."

Jed grinned back. "Yeah, well I didn't exactly shoot up the town on the way out."

"Well, what they don't know won't hurt 'em." Heyes gave his younger cousin an appraising look. "Do you really want to do this? This is a lot bigger than the other jobs we've done—more dangerous too."

"You're doin' it aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but I won't be the one standing outside waiting for someone to start shooting."

Jed shrugged. "Somebody's gotta watch your back."

Heyes smiled. "Ok, but you be careful. Like I told you, these guys can be real mean when they get riled."

"Yeah, I found that out," Jed said, rubbing his jaw.

"They'll do more than punch you," Heyes warned.

"I can take care of myself," Jed said.

Heyes sighed._ Jed could have a real stubborn streak sometimes._

"So how'd you join up with that bunch?" the younger man was asking as they headed back to the cabin.

"I met Harvey in a poker game, he introduced me to the others," Heyes said with a shrug.

"Well, I hope this job pays big, 'cause I really don't want to sweat all day for two dollars a week any more."

Heyes laughed. "Well, next week you'll have a whole lot more than two dollars to show for your time. Do you still want to go to Dodge City?"

"Sure, we'll make a killing, don't you think?"

"Yeah." _I just wish you hadn't said killing._

xxx xxx xxx

The men spent the afternoon playing cards and gambling. Zeke seemed to have taken a liking to Jed, but Harvey and Jake still kept their distance.

A little before sundown, they all decided to ride into Casper; a little town only an hour's ride east of the cabin. The town had only one saloon but it was stocked with plenty of liquor and a man could usually find a card game. The best thing about Casper, was that it had no sheriff or other lawman and a man could do just about anything the other men in the town let him get away with.

Heyes was relieved to find both Jake and Harvey in a much better mood after winning a little money at the poker table and drinking several glasses of whiskey. The men stayed in town longer than they had planned and it was nearly dawn when the five rode back toward Zeke's cabin; lucky that their horses were steadier than they were.

When at last they led their horses into the small corral, all of the men were more than ready to sleep until noon. Heyes and Jed followed Zeke into the cabin but Jake and Harvey lagged behind. Heyes turned around, having forgotten to bring his saddle bag with him and went back toward the corral. He stopped still when he heard Harvey mention Jed's name.

"I don't know why Zeke's makin' us take Curry along. We can handle the job without his help."

"Zeke's planning to put that kid's gun to real good use. We can always kill him afterwards if he doesn't work out."

Heyes heard the two men start moving his way and quickly made his way back to the cabin as quietly as he could.

When he was sure that the two men in the corral hadn't realized he was listening, he breathed a sigh of relief. _A plan for Jed's gun? They can only be talking about one thing._ If he told his cousin what he'd just heard, no doubt Jed would challenge them—he was not about to just run away. As exhausted as he was, Heyes lay awake for a good long time trying to figure out what to do.

Late in the afternoon, when all of the men were up and moving about the cabin, Heyes decided he needed to talk to Zeke. He waited until they were alone, then walked over to where the man was cleaning his boots. "I want to talk to you about Jed."

Zeke looked up and gave Heyes a questioning look. "What about him?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to take him along on the job."

"Why not?"

"Well, you see how hot headed he is, always showin' off that gun of his. We don't need to do this job with guns, not the way I have it planned."

"We're taking him with us, Heyes," Zeke said firmly.

"I don't want him going," Heyes said again, his voice hardening, "and I don't think Harvey or Jake do either. Let's just send him away today."

"Look Heyes, I like your imagination and you came up with a real good plan for the bank in Carson Creek, but if it doesn't go right, the kid's gonna take care of killin' anybody that gets in our way."

Heyes' worst fears were coming true. "And if he don't?"

"Then I'll kill him myself."

Heyes stared at Zeke. He had never figured Zeke for a killer.

"My plan will work fine, nobody needs to get killed. I don't want any part of a job that includes kinning."

Zeke's face softened and he laughed softly. "Sure Heyes, we won't have to kill anybody, it'll all work just like you said. Still…a kid with a talent like that…sure does open up the possibilities."

Heyes smiled nervously. _I gotta get Jed out of here._

_xxx xxx xxx_

Early the next morning, while the others were eating breakfast, Heyes and Jed went to the corral to check on their horses.

"You ain't coming with us on the job," Heyes said flatly as soon as they were far enough away from the cabin so that they wouldn't be heard.

Jed's jaw dropped. "Zeke says I am," he said, wondering what had gotten into Heyes.

"Well I say you ain't."

"Why not? Don't you think I can handle it?"

"The job maybe, but not guys like Jake and Harvey, or even Zeke."

"I can handle men like that just fine," Jed said as he lightly slapped the gun that was tied to his leg.

"See that's what I mean, you want to solve every argument with a gun, how long do you think you're gonna live if you keep doin' that? A fast gun like yours is good for only one thing in an outlaw gang and that's killin'."

"I ain't a killer."

"No? Well that's what men will be askin' you to do if you keep showin' off that—that—"

"Skill?"

"I was gonna say curse," Heyes muttered. "Go back to that farm you were workin' at, marry the farmers daughter and settle down and raise a bunch of kids."

Kid snorted, "I ain't breakin' my back workin' no farm like our folks did—where'd it get 'em?"

"That's not what killed 'em kid, guns is what—"

"Well my gun is gonna keep me from getting killed, nobody's gonna mess with me when I'm the fastest gun in these parts."

Heyes raised his eyebrows. "Don't be stupid kid, that's exactly—"

"Shut up Hannibal, just shut up. I keep tellin' ya I ain't a kid no more. You know, I came here lookin' for you 'cause I thought you might be in some kind of trouble, thought you might need someone to watch your back."

"I don't need you and your gun to watch my back, no one's going to try and get rid of the brains of the operation. Men who use guns or gunslingers for protection are only asking for somebody to come after them—I'm safer without you."

Jed stared at the man he'd come to think of as a brother, a mixture of anger and despair on his face. Without saying another word, he mounted his horse and rode out of town.

xxx xxx xxx

A small town in Wyoming Territory, three years later…

The error of Heyes' last words had become apparent to him shortly after he'd said it, but never more so than three years later, as he ran down a dark, dimly lit alley behind the local saloon.

It had only taken two weeks from the time Jim Santana and two other gang members were arrested, for full blown anarchy to break out among the gang. Heyes had been Jim's second in command, much to the irritation of some of the older gang members, and it had been an understanding that in Jim's absence, Heyes took over. The two men arrested with Jim would have backed him, Heyes was sure of it, but they weren't there. The bunch that was left was a motley crew whose loyalties seemed to belong to whoever was promising them the most at the time. They'd begun to reassemble in the small town on the outskirts of Devil's Hole and Heyes was becoming paranoid. There had been threats and fights between the men and Heyes knew that a couple of the others were vying for control. He wondered how far some of them would go to have him out of the way. That night at the saloon, he was sure he was being watched, so he'd tried to lose his stalker in the alley—a potentially fatal mistake he now feared.

Two shots rang out in quick succession and Heyes whipped his head around in time to see both two men staggering behind him. One man clutched his arm and the other dropped to the ground moaning about his leg. He saw movement in the shadow alongside the building and heard a familiar voice call out. "Throw that gun down and go pick up your friends, or this third bullet's going right into your side."

Heyes stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened. He saw another man step out from a doorway on the other side of the alley, his gun held loosely.

"I said drop it," the voice ordered again.

"Are you gonna shoot me?" the man asked defiantly.

"Not if you do as you're told."

The man slowly dropped the gun and raised his hands.

"Hey, I'm bleedin' to death here," the man from the ground called out.

"Shut up," the gunman snapped, emerging from the shadows. "Heyes, go round up their guns."

Heyes swallowed hard and then quickly scooped up the three weapons.

"Well now, Heyes, since these here boys seem to belong to you, what do you want me to do with them?"

The young outlaw leader stepped into the center of the alley and assumed control of the situation. "Well now that depends, you boys tried to take over and were gonna kill me, what do you think I should do with you?"

"We weren't gonna kill you Heyes, we were just gonna scare you off, Wheat said—"

"Shut up," the man called Wheat glared down at the outlaw laying on the ground.

"I was always on your side, really Heyes, it was them two—" the man clutching his arm stammered.

"Look," Wheat began, "we didn't think you had what it takes is all, now we figure maybe you do. You can trust us, I swear," he said with a glance at the newcomer who had the gun aimed at his chest.

"Ok Wheat, why don't you take Hank and Dutch here, and go get them fixed up. Then you come back around to Devil's Hole and I'll think about what you just said." Heyes gave the man a menacing look and was surprised at how quickly he nodded.

"Come on boys, let's get you both patched up." Wheat and Dutch helped Hank to his feet and the three of them hobbled out of the alley.

Heyes stood for a moment, regaining his composure, then turned to the man beside him. "How've you been Jed?" he asked cautiously.

"Ah, you know, takin' care of myself," Curry said with a shrug.

Heyes nodded slowly. "I heard your name a few times," he began tentatively.

"Yeah? Well you prob'ly just heard rumors or lies."

Together they walked out to the main street, and now, illuminated by the street light, Heyes stared into the other man's face. The man standing in front of him was certainly his cousin, but he was no longer the boy that Heyes remembered. His face still had a boyish look, and his hair was still as curly—although a little darker, but it was his eyes that sent a chill down his spine. His eyes had the cold steeled look of a man that had faced down death and remained standing—a man who had killed and wasn't afraid to kill again.

"I heard you killed a man in New Mexico."

"Did you hear he drew on me first?"

"Yeah, I heard that he had two men backing him up too. You shot all three of 'em but the other two lived."

Jed turned and stared down the street.

"You were right," he said continuing to look away, "once word gets around about how good I am with this thing all men want to do is hire me to kill someone for 'em. So, I thought maybe I could work for you?"

Heyes was silent for a minute, knowing with the other man's pride and stubbornness, what it must have taken to bring him here.

"I don't want a second," he said finally, "and I don't need another gunslinger in my gang."

Kid's face did not reveal the hurt and disappointment that he felt at that moment. Six months of tracking Heyes down through one town after another—always a step or two behind the Devil's Hole Gang. The arrest of Jim Santana and two of the other gang members had finally given him the edge he needed to catch up with Heyes. He kept his face steady as he nodded slightly and started to walk away.

"Jed, I want you to be my _partner_," Heyes said, emphasizing the last word.

Kid controlled the grin that began to break out on his face.

"All right then, partner," he said turning back to face Heyes with a steady expression, "but it's 'Kid' not Jed, and don't tell any of the gang I'm your cousin—I don't want them thinkin' I didn't earn this spot on my own."

"It's a deal," Heyes agreed and stuck his hand out for Kid to shake. Instead, the younger man grabbed hold of Heyes' arm and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Heyes, it's good to see ya," Kid said enthusiastically.

"You too Kid," Heyes agreed with a chuckle. "Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, has a nice ring to it don't ya think?"

The Beginning


End file.
